


The One That Stayed

by XxFandomTrashxX



Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Genre: AU, Alcohol, Alpha John, Alpha Sharky, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Angst, Beginning of the Eden’s Gate Cult, Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, Grace and Jess are super supportive, Hurk will never change, I’m going to fuck everything up towards the end, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omegas are rare, On Hiatus, Sex, omega deputy, suicidal character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-12-27 03:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 10,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18296024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxFandomTrashxX/pseuds/XxFandomTrashxX
Summary: Sharky wasn’t surprised his neighbors called the Sheriffs Department, what he was surprised by was the fact that John Seed’s boyfriend was at his door in a deputies uniform.~~~~~This is my first time writing an A/B/O Verse fic, so please leave feedback on how I can improve. ^^





	1. Chapter 1

 Sharky was chilling in his living room, lying on his couch and listening to music when he heard a knock on his door, he sighed and got up, throwing the rest of his beer back before answering the door. “Hey, what’s u-“ he cut himself off looking over the man standing before him, he had dark grey hair and blue eyes... well, a blue eye, his left one being covered by an eyepatch. He wore a deputies uniform, though he’d never seen him before.

 The man met his eyes, “Uh, are you Mr. Boshaw?” He asked, taking a quick look around before returning to Sharky.

 “Hm? Oh, yeah, just call me Sharky, say, do I know you?” Never met him, not to Sharky’s knowledge at least, he had seen him, but he couldn’t remember were.

 “Mmm... I don’t think so... I don’t go out much and just got a job with the Sheriff’s Department...” he said, drifting off slightly before gasping quietly, “Okay, sorry, um, there was a noise complaint from your neighbors, if you can turn down the volume, that’d be great, as well as cleaning up your lawn a little... I’ll be back in the morning to check in on you and make sure you did as requested,” he said, checking his watch, “Shit..” he looked back up at Sharky, outstretching his hand. Sharky grabbed it and shook it, “Nice to meet you, Sharky,” he said with a smile.

 “Nice meeting you too..”

 “Dusty, Deputy Dusty Ramiro,” He stated, pulling his hand back by his side, “See you tomorrow,” he turned on his heel, walking away.

 Sharky took a whiff of the air, _beta, he was a beta._


	2. Chapter 2

 Sharky did as the new deputy had requested, thankfully, Hurk was coming over that day and he was able to rope him into helping him. He told Hurk about the new deputy and how he felt he recognized him from somewhere.

 “Didn’t you hear? John Seed’s boyfriend got a job at the Sheriffs Department,” Hurk said.

 “Shit, how do you know?”

 “Word gets around fast when you’re close to someone important,” he stated nonchalantly, “Did you catch his scent?” he asked turning to face his cousin.

 “Yeah, smelled like a beta...”

 “Damn, I thought John would try an get an Omega, with all that money he’s got, it’d surely be easy.” 

 “Money isn’t everything, some Omegas only mate with Betas or Alphas that can somewhat control their needs during their heat... and I feel like John is neither of those.”

 “Well, he’s obviously not a Beta, the news here has already covered the fact that he’s an Alpha, but not if he’s mated yet.”

 “In any case, I don’t think I’d want to be an Omega and related with anyone in that family, they’re all pretty fucked up.”

 Hurk shrugged and went back to work, Sharky following soon after.


	3. Chapter 3

 Deputy Ramiro kept to his word and came back to check on Sharky the next day, “Wow, thanks for listening to me, keep it up and you might not have me visiting you every week,” he chuckled, raking a hand through his hair.

 “Did the other deputies already tell you about my track record?”

 The deputy nodded, “Mhm, they say your one of the particularly hard civilians to take care of because of your obsession with fire and alcohol, and though your cousin, Mr. Drubman Jr. doesn’t get many calls on him since his house is more secluded, he’s just as bad, except it’s Rocket Launchers rather than Flamethrowers.”

 “Fuck, and you got all of that from one conversation?”

 “No, when Sheriff Whitehorse assigned me to come down and see what the complaints were all about, Joey and Staci were warning me to be wary around you two, well, have my guard up more than with other civilians.”

 Hurk laughed in the background, “Damn, they don’t leave anything out, huh?”

 The deputy takes a second to scan Hurk before speaking, “Nope, Staci knows I’d whoop his ass if he led me to a mountain and pushed me off...”

 Sharky laughed, “Well, you seem to be one of the cooler deputies, the other ones gave me warnings and fines since day one.”

 “Well, I’d like to be more lenient, and if everyone in the county hates me, I’ll probably bring down John’s rep...” he drifted off.

 “Uh, well, if ya’ ever need a break, you can come here, I’m never opposed to company unless I’m asleep, please don’t break into my house and wake me.”

 “I’ll try an resist my urges to get fired, just for you, Mr. Bosh- Sharky...” he replied with a smirk, turning around to leave, “Have a good day!”

 “You too, Deputy.”


	4. Chapter 4

 It had been a week since Sharky had seen the deputy when he got a call from an unknown number, “Hello?”

 “Hey man, uh, I don’t know many people here, and John told me that I needed to be more outgoing, so, um... Joey, Staci, and I all have an off night tonight and we’re going to the Spread Eagle, so I wanted to know if you were up for tagging along...” The caller said.

 It was obviously Deputy Ramiro, but just in case, “Who is this?”

 “Oh, fuck, sorry, it’s Dusty...”

 “How did you get my number, dude?”

 “It’s easy if you know the right people...” he said ominously.

 “What?”

 “I was called into get Hurk out of a jam and asked for your number since I had forgotten to last time I saw you...” he chuckled nervously.

 “Oh, okay, uh, when are you going to the Spread Eagle?”

 “At 7:30.”

 “Alright, see ya’ then.”

 “See ya’!”


	5. Chapter 5

 Sharky entered the Spread Eagle, it was pretty busy, being a Saturday night, but he was able to see the deputies soon after entering, he walked over to their table, sitting between Joey and Dusty, that being the only seat left as Jacob and John Seed were there. Dusty stood to greet him when he walked over to their table, he shook his hand and pulled the chair out for him. 

 “This is my friend, Mr. Sharky Boshaw, Staci, Joey, you’ve already met him, but John and Jacob haven’t,” he said with a small smile before sitting back down next to John.

 John smiled and gave him a nod in acknowledgment, Jacob just gave him a nod, elbowing Staci when he just stared, and forcing him to smile, and Joey just looked at him for a second.

 They all ordered their drinks and spoke while waiting for Mary to bring them back to their table, “So, you haven’t been getting in much trouble lately...” Joey started, “Something up?”

 “Uh, no, just..” he shrugs, “I haven’t had much reason to do anything that would warrant a visit...”

 Joey nodded, “Why do you all have tonight off? Isn’t the Sheriff the only other person working there?”

 “Yeah, but there are some initiates he’s showing the ropes, they aren’t going to be working here, but the place is close and they don’t have enough time to train them. He wanted me to stay for training as well, but I’m on leave right now,” Dusty stated.

 “Oh? What happened?”

 “Got shot on the side a couple of days ago, it didn’t go to deep, so I’ll be back on the job in about a week or two,” he said, biting the inside of his cheek.

 “Hm, well I hope you heal well,” Sharky said with a smile.

 Dusty smiled back, “Thanks, Shark.”

 Mary came back with their drinks, everyone got stuff on the cheaper side, excluding John, and he seemed to have coaxed Dusty into getting something more expensive than what he originally going to choose.

 “Is Joseph coming back next week?” Dusty asked out of the blue.

 “Uh, Yeah, at least to my knowledge... Faith’s been at his compound helping him  get better...” John said after a moment. 

 “Great, I hope he’s good before next Sunday, the other people in the congregation were really worried about him...”

 Jacob and John chuckled, “Tell me about it... you didn’t have to deal with them...” Jacob said.

 “Yeah, they were outraged that he was sick...” John stated with a sigh.

 “Don’t they realize he’s a human and humans get sick..? It’s like saying he doesn’t fall into sin, he has, I have, we all have...” he drifted off, absentmindedly stirring his Piña Colada with the straw.

 The place was emptying out by this time, new people coming in, but not enough to fill the empty seats. Sharky could clearly smell their scents now,  Jacob and John were both Alphas, and the deputies were all Betas. It was odd that none of the deputies were Alphas, but it was okay, it was normal.

 “So, Boshaw, your an Alpha?” John asked.

 Sharky’s head shot up, having been staring at his beer bottle, “Hm? Uh... yeah...” he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

 “Oh, wouldn’t have expected that one...” he leaned back in his chair, sipping his scotch.

 “What do you mean?”

 “John, don’t...” Dusty warned.

 “Hush, or I’ll spill the beans...”

 Dusty cowered slightly, frown spreading across his face.

 “I always pictured you as a Beta at the most...”

 “Welp, sorry to disappoint, Amigo.”

 Staci shifted in his seat uncomfortably, “Um... Dusty, I need to go wash my hands, care to join me..?” He asked, trying to get them both out of the conversation.

 Dusty looked over at John, getting an affirmative nod, “Yeah... I probably should as well..” he said before standing. They both walked into the bathroom.

 John and Jacob got in a conversation, Sharky and Joey sitting awkwardly in their chairs until the other two returned.

 They all ended up leaving not to long after, Dusty texting Sharky when he pulled into the trailer park.

_Sorry about John, he is easily put in a bad mood..._

_Oh, it’s fine, I just didn’t expect him to get mad because I’m an Alpha..._

_I think it’s because you’re an Alpha who I speak to, not JUST because your an Alpha..._

_Oh well, I still had a good time despite that, maybe you can come over some time and we can crack open a beer and listen to music?_

_Sounds great, how about next Friday?_

_I’m free that day, I’ll talk to you later_

_Have a good night_

_You too_


	6. Chapter 6

 It felt like it had been an eternity when Friday finally rolled around, Hurk and Sharky were sitting on the roof when Dusty pulled up, he stepped out of his car and fixed his black and white flannel shirt. Sharky and Hurk climbed down a ladder to greet him.

 “Hey little amigo, how’s life treatin’ you?” Hurk asked.

 “Well, my wound is healed for the most part, and I still have about three more days on my leave... so that’s good,” he stated, looking over at the taller man.

 “Nice, ya’ wanna go inside so we can get this party started?” Sharky asked.

 Dusty hesitated, “Um, sure.”

~~~~

 It didn’t take long for Dusty to get wasted. They listened to music and spoke until they passed out.

~~~~

 Sharky woke up with a horrible headache and warmth on top of him, he slowly opened his eyes, rays of the morning sunlight pouring in through his windows and blinding him.

 When he got adjusted to the light, he looked around, only to find Hurk sleeping on a chair in the corner of his living room. He didn’t have to look for Dusty as he could already smell, feel, and now see him lying on top of his chest, his arms wrapped around Sharky’s waist, and hair disheveled, he was confused on why his scent was more of a Beta and Omega mix rather than full Beta, but he just assumed it was the alcohol. Sharky stared down at him for a few minutes before he started to stir.

 He moved slightly, slowly opening his eyes to see Sharky above him, he got up quickly, ignoring the pounding in his head, “F-fuck, sorry, Sharks...” he mumbled, stumbling backwards as he rubbed his eye with his palm.

 “Jesus... you good?” He only got a nod in response, but decided that was enough, “It’s fine, you need somethin’ for your hangover? I can get you a glass of water if you want...”

 “No, I’m okay, just give me a few minutes...” he said, sitting at the kitchen table and leaning back slightly.

 “So... uh...” Sharky bit the inside of his cheek when Dusty turned his head to face him.

 “Hm..?”

 “Um... not tryna be nosey or anything, but, like, I’m smelling a mix of Beta and Omega... so... what are you..?” He asked, bringing back something he probably shouldn’t have.

 Dusty cringed, but looked Sharky over, then Hurk, “Ah, fine, the bear’s asleep and I could take you if you tried some shit...” he leaned back in the chair, “Omega... but don’t go blabbing your hole, or I’ll end ya..” he breathed, brows knitting together.

 Sharky stares at him for a moment, mouth a gape, “Did John pay for you to date him?” 

 “...No.. Why?”

 Sharky should shut up, he really should, “He seems like a dick,” fuck.

 Dusty smiled, “Yeah... but he keeps me safe, so it’s all good... didn’t you see how Jacob was treating Stace? At least John gives me freedom and nice shit.... All Staci’s guaranteed is that he’ll be safe if he’s around Jacob and doesn’t misbehave...”

 “Fuck, that’s gotta suck...”

 “It does, but at least no one has to suffer Joseph’s religious shit, I mean, you’re in heat and he’d be preachin’ on how ‘you shouldn’t give into Lust’...” he said, chuckling.

 “Ha... yeah, I guess that would suck...” they sat in silence for a moment, “so, have you been in heat recently?”

 Dusty eyed him, “No... Do you wanna be there when I do or something?”

 Sharky’s face flushed, “No, I-I didn’t mean it like that...!” He stuttered, he’s usually ballsy as fuck, but no way he wants to be on John Seed’s boyfriend’s badside, no fucking way.

 Dusty laughed, “I’m sure you could show me a good time... probably even be better at it than him...”


	7. Chapter 7

 Dusty looked over at Sharky, laughing when he saw the bewildered expression on his face and redness flooding his cheeks.

 “W-what the hell, dude? Are you and John on bad terms or somethin’?” Sharky asked.

 “Naw, I just like fucking around with people...”

 “Literally or figuratively?”

 “Mmm... both...”

 “Jesus Christ...” Sharky breathed, raking a hand through his hair and realizing his hat was gone. He could deal with that problem later.

 Dusty grabbed his phone when it kept vibrating, “Shit...” he muttered, standing, “I have to get home or John’s gonna kill me...”

 “Oh, well, you do what ya gotta do to survive...” Sharky said, grabbing his keys and throwing them at him.

 “Thanks, man,” Dusty said, catching the keys as he threw his jacket on, he started towards the door, opening it but not exiting, he spoke after a moment of silence, “Text me if ya’ get bored, I’ll come over after work if worst comes to worst... maybe we can have a little fun..” he said with a smirk before leaving, closing the door behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

 A week passed before Sharky had the courage to text the deputy. Wouldn’t any normal person be afraid to text the boyfriend of some super fucking rich and famous dude? Like, especially if said boyfriend was willing to let you fuck them? Sure, Sharky isn’t normal, no no no no, he never said that, he is anything BUT normal, but if he got on John Seed’s bad side, he’d either be killed by some hitman he hired or his fucking bear of a brother. Sharky was a twig compared to Jacob, in height and weight, Hurk and Jacob were around the same, but Jacob was more muscle than fat, Hurk being the complete opposite. If John sent someone to kill Sharky, he had no fucking chance, it wouldn’t even end up on the news, maybe just a flash like, “ _Today, Nick Rye changed the name of his Aviation company to Rye and Daughter Aviation, oh yeah, and some pyro guy died...”_ because that’s all Sharky is, some dude that has a huge love for fire...

 He sighed as his thumb hovered over the send button, he had no reason to be afraid, he just wanted to check in, Dusty did have a pretty dangerous job after all, making sure he was okay shouldn’t warrant a death sentence... right?

 He pushed the button, dread immediately consuming his insides, is there a way to take a message back? Fuck, he was replying...

 “Hey”

“Yo”

 Fuck, what was he supposed to do now?

 He sat on his couch, staring at his phone for a solid five minutes before texting.

 “What are you doing right now?”

”Sitting in my car, just had                    

to help some old lady get                      

her cat out of a tree :T”

”Wby?”

 “Just chilling on my couch...”

”Do you wanna come over?”

 There was no reply, was he to straightforward? Was Dusty telling John to call his brother and tell him to come over and destroy this pathetic excuse for a human that is Sharky Boshaw? 

 Five minutes pass before there’s a reply.

”Srry, I’ll come over in two  

hours, gotta finish my shift..”

”Ok, text me when you leave”

”Will do, Sharks ;)”

 Okay, he needs to clean up, and did he just send him a winky face?


	9. Chapter 9

 Dusty was at the door about two and a half hours later, he was wearing one of John’s shirts based on the design, fabric, and size, and his hair was slightly wet.

 “Hey, sorry it took me so long, some kids hit me with water balloons and I had to go back home and get changed...”

 “...Why are you in John’s clothes..?”

 Dusty’s cheeks flushed, “I... well, my clothes were wet, and I haven’t had time to do laundry lately, and I don’t have many sets of clothes... John said if I ever needed something to wear, I could borrow anything that fit me, so I took him up on that offer... y’know...”

 “Oh...” Sharky nodded slowly, “Well, would you like to come in?”

 Dusty gasped, “Oh, yeah, sorry!” He said, slipping past Sharky when he moved.

 Dusty walked in and sat on the couch, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt, “It’s hot in here, how the fuck are ya wearing a sweatshirt..?” He asked with a laugh.

 Sharky shut the door and turned around to face him, seeing that he was leaning back in his seat, the top of his shirt unbuttoned and chest exposed. “I...I...Well, I... uh...” Dusty looked over at him, “I don’t get effected by heat easily...” he finally said.

 “Hm, I’m from Ireland, so being wet and cold doesn’t bother me,” he chuckles softly.

 “What has you in such a good mood?” Sharky asked as he walked into his kitchen and grabbed two beers.

 “I have no clue...” he took the beer from Sharky when he handed it to him, thanking him and cracking it open, he sipped the foam from the top and set the drink down on a coaster. He pulled his hand up to his mouth and licked some of the beer off his pointer finger.

 Sharky choked slightly when he saw that, “Fuck... man...” he breathed.

 “Dude, are you okay?” Dusty asked, placing his hand on the other man’s back.

 Sharky turned his head the other way, raising a finger up, “I’m good...” he croaked after a moments pause.

 “Alright, if ya say so...”


	10. Chapter 10

 The rest of the night went on without any problems, they shared stories, joked, and became closer. At around 11pm Dusty had to leave, saying he had picked up Staci’s shift for the next morning.

~~~~~

 They didn’t talk much in the following two weeks, Dusty being super busy, but Sharky listened to the radio frequency the Sheriffs Department was on. The radio had been dead for most of the day, but suddenly, it crackled to life.

 _“Staci, Goddamn it, get your ass over to the Jailhouse,”_ a masculine voice said.

  _”I’m on my way, I can’t plow through the pedestrians, Sheriff,”_ another voice, who Sharky assumed was Staci, said.

  _“Fuck... I don’t have John’s number, can you call him and get him over here? He might be the only one that can get Dusty to come down...”_ Sharky sat up on hearing this.

  _“He’s at work right now, I don’t think he’ll make it in time if he’s able to leave... though I know of one other person that might be able to help.”_

_“Then make the call, goddamn it!”_

A few seconds later Sharky’s phone rang, he picked it up and answered it, hesitantly saying, “Hello..?”

 “Thank God... Sharky, um, can you go to the Jailhouse in the Henbane? Dus-Dusty kinda... he’s going through a rough time and... um...” he quieted for a moment before mumbling a small ‘fuck’, “please just come, I can’t explain right now...” the phone disconnected after a few moments.


	11. Chapter 11

 Sharky got in his car and started driving to the Jailhouse, it wasn’t that far, so he was there in about ten minutes. He pulled up and was immediately greeted by Staci and Whitehorse. He looked around quickly, noting the EMS surrounding the area, they had their lights on, but the sirens weren’t on.

 “This is the twat you think can help Dusty?” The sheriff scoffed.

 Staci offered a small, apologetic smile, “Um... well, he’s our only hope now... so it’s him or nothing,” Staci stated quietly.

 The sheriff sighed, “You better not fuck this up, Boshaw...” Earl said before walking towards two firemen.

 Staci took a step towards Sharky, “What the fuck is going on?” Sharky asked.

 “D...Dusty and John got in a fight two weeks ago and he... didn’t take it well,” he wiped the tears pricking his eyes away, “he’s trying to jump off the roof, no one can get close because he has a gun, but from what the firemen have seen, he has a bunch of pill and alcohol bottles surrounding him... I, he was my best friend, and your the only one he’s really been talking to lately, so can you please try an talk him down? We have the ambulance here just in case something happens... but, fuck man... just please help him...” he finished, tears streaking his face.

 Sharky was astounded by this, he was upset, but he didn’t know Dusty as well as anyone else on staff, but they were trusting this man with his life...

 Sharky sighed before nodding and heading over to the sheriff, Staci being a mess, “How do I get up there?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-wrote this chapter with an alternate ending if you’d like you liked this and want to know what could’ve happened, take this link :D
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/18457829


	12. Chapter 12

 Earl took him over to the fire truck, where the firemen helped him up the ladder, onto the platform, and held the bottom of the second ladder. Sharky got up on the roof, looking at Dusty a second before cautiously advancing. Dusty was staring off at the horizon, watching the sunset, looking but not seeing. Bottles of pills and alcohol littered the roof around him. He grabbed the gun beside him and pointed it at Sharky, “Don’t move...” he said, tone even.

 Some blood ran down his arm, dripping onto the concrete beside him, the bloody knife in his lap the reason there were gashes in his arm. His legs kicked around slightly as they dangled on the edge, he was close to it, so close, too close, one wrong move and splat, blood everywhere, and it would be Sharky’s fault.

 Sharky stopped about a yard from him, holding his arms up, despite the fact that the arm he was holding the gun with was trembling and his finger wasn’t even on the trigger. “I won’t, just put the gun down,” he said, trying to keep his voice even, but failing horribly.

 The deputy looked over at him, eyes empty and hallow, his nose and cheeks pink and his lips a light shade of purple from the cold, a deep gash was visible on his chest, the button down deputy shirt revealing that it was over 12-inches long, taking a drink from the vodka bottle in his other hand, he spoke, “Why? You just want me to go back down there like everyone else, you want me to go down and live, like that’s really an option,” he scoffed, “John’s gone, left me, he fucking...” he stopped himself, looking away for a moment before taking another drink, arm holding the gun falling slightly. He sighed and looked back at the older man, “I have no reason to go on, he was the only person that loved me and I fucked that up...” he chuckled, releasing the bottle and grabbing the knife, he took the blade and put it against his neck, making a hissing noise, smiling as he dragged it across his neck. Blood dotted the long cut, it only seemed to have pierced the epidermis and dermis. “I tried soooo hard, man, you don’t even know...” he said quietly, standing and walking beside Sharky, he dropped his arm holding the gun to his side when he was beside the man, pulling the other hand up to his neck and tracing his jaw and neck with the knife, being careful not to pierce the skin, “give me a reason I should leave, leave and live.. everyone I love is dead, or hates me...”

 Sharky swallowed, “What about Staci..?” He asked softly.

 The knife left his neck for a moment, he hissed as the cold side was placed against his neck, Dusty chuckled as he pulled it away, “Your an asshole, Boshaw...” he said quietly, walking back over to where he was sitting, and plopping back down, holstering his gun and messing with his knife, “Forgot he still existed,” he chuckled, tracing his wrists with the blade, sinking it into an unharmed part of the flesh, “welp, guess someone’s gotta take care of him...” smile gracing his lips, he looked up, watching the sun disappear behind the mountains.

 “Why are you here? By choice or did those... people...” he waved his hand in their direction, “make you?” He looked back over at the other man with an inquisitive expression.

 “I... came up here willingly...” Sharky said, biting the inside of his lip slightly.

 Dusty let out a bark of amusement, “Mkay, if that’s what you say, I believe you, I have ta’ go home and feed Peaches, she’ll destroy me if I don’t,” He said with a smile, standing and going to the door that goes in the jail, “thanks, Boshaw, I’ll talk to ya later...” he walked through the door, disappearing into the darkness of the stairwell before the door shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Bullet, by Hollywood Undead


	13. Chapter 13

,  Sharky didn’t know much about what happened after that encounter besides Dusty disappearing into the forest after getting past the wall, the deputies had to track him down and take all his weapons, though they didn’t mention the knife when going over their findings with him. No one had heard from him, but Staci has gone to visit him every day for the next week afterwards, having been put on temporary leave until he was able to be trusted with weapons again.

 Sharky had heard stuff from Staci, but he wanted to visit him himself, not knowing his address, he called Staci up who said he’d come pick him up, sure enough, he did.

 They pulled into his driveway, his house hidden in the woods, Sharky went to open the door before Staci grabbed his sweatshirt, “Um, don’t bring up John, they still haven’t spoken since they split...” he said quietly.

 “Will do, amigo,” Sharky replied, hopping out of the car.

 They stepped onto the porch, knocking on the door. Dusty opened it after a few minutes, he rubbed his eye, “Hey... what are you here for..?” He asked, Peaches walking around behind him.

 “Sharky wanted to come see you, I hope that’s okay...”

 Dusty smiled slightly, moving away from the door, “Come on in, I’ll go make some tea....”

 Sharky and Staci entered, going and sitting on the couch. They heard the water boil after a few minutes, Dusty came back in and set three coffee cups on the table and an assortment of tea bags, sugar, honey, and basically anything else you’d put in tea. He came back a moment later and poured the water in the cups, putting honey and a lavender tea packet in his, taking a sip as he pulled his legs up into his chair and leaned back, eye shut.

 Staci grabbed a tea packet with peach, and Sharky just grabbed earl gray. “How are you doing?” Sharky asked after a moment of silence.

 Dusty’s eye snapped open as he looked over at the other man, “Fine, never felt better if I’m honest...” he smiled at them.

 “Oh, well that’s good...” Sharky said, slightly unsure of whether Dusty was telling the truth or not.

 Dusty hummed, taking a sip of his tea.

 “Joseph and Faith visited yesterday, their company was nice...” he let out a quiet sigh.

 “What did they say?” Staci asked.

 “They liked my tea, John’s having a mental breakdown, they gave me some pills and preached a little before praying with me and leaving...” he said, slightly running the last bit together, “I thought you’d know, Stace...” he looked up at the man.

 “No, um, Jacob hasn’t told me anything about that...” he said impishly.

 “What did they give you?” Sharky asked.  

 “They called it, the bliss... and hell, it’s amazing...” he started swaying from side to side slowly, “John isn’t my problem anymore, they say he wants to talk to me, but he made his choice when he started carving shit into my body,” he said dreamily.

 “Wait, what?”

 Dusty let out a small noise, pulling his shirt down slightly to reveal ‘Envy’ carved into his chest, it was an older scar, but none the less. “The world’s ending, and I couldn’t care less...” he shrugged slightly, setting his tea down, “Imma go to bed, make sure to lock the door when you leave...” he purred, walking upstairs.


	14. Chapter 14

 When he heard the door upstairs close, Sharky turned to face Staci, setting his mug on the table, “Okay, man, what the fuck is happening?”

 Staci shrugged, “Jacob hasn’t said anything about... that....” he gestured vaguely.

 Sharky looked towards the stairs, “I’m worried about him, trying to kill himself, and now John’s family is trying to get in contact with him...”

 Staci sighed, “Yeah, I know from experience that they aren’t a good group, the brothers are all Alphas and Faith’s a Beta... plus everything that has happened... well, we should probably go, don’t want to disturb him if he’s actually asleep...” he said as he stood.

 Sharky stood as well, walking behind Staci towards the door. He closed the door when he was out, locking it behind him.


	15. Chapter 15

 It had been a long, boring week, radio basically dead, and Hurk being busy. He got a call on Saturday from Grace Armstrong, she invited Sharky to join her, Jess, and Nick at the Spread Eagle, he happily accepted their invite, pulling up about ten minutes early, he fucked with his phone until they showed up. They walked inside and got a table, talking while Mary bustled around the bar.

 “Fuck, did you hear about what happened to the Deputy?” Jess asked after some time.

 “Dusty? That was sad... I can’t believe John would do that to him...” Nick said.

 “Yeah, then he disappeared, ‘parently no one’s heard from him in a while....”

 “I heard all the Seed’s went off the radar, the church is supposedly dead as apposed to their usual uproar when Joseph disappears,” Grace stated.

 “Mmm, they’ve been kissing up to peoples asses the past couple of years, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled some shit...” Sharky stated, taking a swig if his drink when Mary set their drinks on the table.

 It was around noon, so there weren’t many patrons yet, so whenever someone entered, Sharky turned to face the door and see who entered. The person had a hoodie on that was covering their face, they sat up at the bar and ordered something, only pulling their hood down when they pulled the cup up to their mouth to take a drink, Mary stood there and spoke to them for a few moments, a worried expression on her face.

 “I’ll fuckin’ do what I want... they’re comin’... the end’s comin’... they-“ the person ruffled their hair, “they’ve tried to kill me...”

 “Deputy, you need to go home and re-“

 “I’ve been doing that for two weeks, Mary, they’ve visited me numerous times, inviting me to join them... Staci thinks I’m paranoid since Jacob isn’t saying anything, but those fuckers are up to something, that’s why the church hasn’t been having services, they’re preparing...”

 “For what?”

 “The end, the collapse...” he sighs, “John hasn’t been acting right and they think if I come back he’ll go back to normal... after what he did, I don’t think I can...”

 Mary put her hand on his shoulder, “Then don’t, he doesn’t deserve you, he had you and mistreated you, you don’t deserve that...”

 “I do... He said I needed to atone, if an unworthy sinner such as I could become holy in the eyes of the Father and God, then anyone could, Eden’s Gate could help...” he was crying softly, head resting in arms, “they gave me drugs, said ‘the bliss’d make me see’, but it made me high off my ass, it was nice, sure, but it didn’t do anything in the long run. The people that go to that church have been brainwashed, they’re doomed, they’re gonna die, I let this happen, I have to go back, I might be able to stop this...” he tried to stand, but Mary tightened her grip.

 “No, you can’t save everyone, you’ll end up getting yourself killed or injured!”

 “Well, it’s a price I’m willing to pay...” he pulled his arm out of her grasp and ran over and out the door.

 She came out from behind the bar, running towards the door, “Damn it, Dusty..” She said defeatedly, dropping her head.


	16. Chapter 16

 Sharky heard most, if not all of the conversation, he stood and walked over to Mary, who was now mumbling something to herself, “Hey, Mary, what’s wrong?” He asked, watching her dig her phone out of her pocket.

 “The deputy is trying to get himself killed again,” she muttered, pressing a few buttons and raising the phone to her face, “Hello? Hey, Sheriff, um, Dusty’s heading over to the church, he said he heard some stuff from the Seeds over the past few weeks... oh? Shit, he might be right then... he said Joseph came to his house today and told him ‘The reaping begins at nightfall’... I have no clue what it means, he left before he could elaborate... you can’t do anything, you just have to wait and see...” she sighed and pocketed her phone, walking back behind the bar.

 “What was that all about?”

 “Dusty... he... thinks the Seeds are up to something, and he’s tryna stop it...” she picked up a clean rag and started drying one of the freshly washed glasses sitting on the table.

 Sharky nodded, sitting at the bar, “Do you think he’s gonna be okay?”

 Mary nodded, “Seed’s seem harmless enough, plus, Dusty is fully capable of taking care of himself...” she stopped for a moment, shaking her head and continuing to dry the glasses, now putting them away as well.


	17. Chapter 17

 Sharky went back to his table, sitting with his friends, they asked him what was up when he was being  uncharacteristically quiet, but he just said he didn’t get much sleep the night prior. They believed him... weird...

 The minutes stretched on into hours, three to be exact, when the bar was starting to fill up, there was a loud noise that rang through the place before a broadcast came through the tv. Joseph stood in the middle of the screen, Jacob, John, and Faith behind him, and Dusty and Staci in the far corners of the screen. Joseph spoke, “Hello, my children,-“ Jesus Christ, he was already boring as hell... “the collapse is upon us, we’re willing to outstretch God’s holy grace to you... we’ll accept you into the fold, keep you safe from the Collapse, all you have to do.. is come to the church...” he finished. Sharky was zoned out for most of it, but ‘the Collapse’ caught his attention. 

 The place was dead silent, aside from the broadcast now playing on loop. People started murmuring amongst themselves before the lights went out, it took a few seconds before they came back on, but those few seconds were scary... the collapse was upon them apparently and everything was pitch fucking black.

 “What the fuck was that?”

 “I have no clue...”

 “I knew those Seeds were fucking insane...”

 Sharky thought for a moment, he saw two of the three deputies in the background, right? That wasn’t just his imagination... Two sheep in a den of wolves... fuck, he had to believe what Mary said, Dusty can handle himself, he can, and he can probably handle Staci too, right? Though he might not like Staci much, he can’t hope for his demise, plus, he was just doing his job... then Dusty... he didn’t know the man well, bet he seemed nice, layed back, fun, a bunch of other things Sharky couldn’t find the words to describe right now... he liked Dusty, yes, and Staci seemed to be pretty cool when off the clock... but they were both Omegas, and the Seed brothers were all Alphas, not to mention the probable couple of people in the congregation who were also Alphas... Betas? They can’t do shit, but Alphas can fuck them up in more ways than he could care to imagine.

 The group left, Sharky noticing something he hadn’t noticed before, the radios, the TV screen in the bar was static, straight static, but those Goddamn radios...

 He sat in his car, looking around to see the darkness now covering Fall’s End, the only lights on being inside the Spread Eagle. He pulled his phone out to look at it, confirming his suspicions, the Seeds has cut the power and the service on his phone was out. He sighed and put his key in the ignition, turning his car on, the broadcast blasted in his face, he quickly threw his hand up and pushed the button, turning the radio off... silence filled his car, the only noises being the gravel crunching under his tires and the engine groaning.


	18. Chapter 18

 The trail park was dead when he got back, cars missing, doors open, some lights on, others off.... it was a ghost town... 

 He sighed and walked into his home, throwing himself in bed and going to sleep.

~~~~~

 No sleep, time skip was a more accurate description, and a super slow one at that. He sat up upon hearing things outside his window, groaning? Moaning? What was that?

 He stood and went to check, poking his head behind the curtains. He watched as a person walked away from the window, they were bald and had a green mist surrounding them. Some people that looked similar to them roamed around, but one thing that caught Sharky’s eye was the people that had hair and guns... shotguns, pistols, rifles... the whole shabang, y’know?

 He went and grabbed his shotgun from his closet, hesitating before switching for his flamethrower. He meant buisness, and the flamethrower had a better range and advantages as opposed to the shotgun. He hooked his mobile radio to his belt before sneaking out through the back door.


	19. Chapter 19

 It took a while, but he had finally killed all the people.

~~~~~

 Two months, two months since the Seeds went haywire... Angels and Peggies always on the citizen’s asses. Falls End and most of the bigger areas in the county. He rigged some speaker systems to attract them when he gets bored, but they usually don’t bother otherwise. 

 He sighs as he falls into his couch, taking a swig of his beer when there’s a knock at his door, he grabs his shotgun, putting it to the door before unlocking and opening it.

 Dusty stands on his porch, leaning on the frame of his door. Blood leaks through his shirt close to where his pants begin, his hair is messed up and dirty, bags under his eyes. One major thing Sharky noted was him smelling like a Beta. Despite everything, he’s smiling. “Good afternoon, Charlemagne.”

 “What the fuck happened to you? The Seeds went batshit crazy and think the worlds ending...”

 Dusty chuckles humorlessly, “I know, I’ve been staying with John...” his smile had long since faded.

 “What do you mean? I thought you were gonna stay away from him..”

 “I tried, but when you’re being threatened, there’s really no avoiding it...”

 Sharky nodded, silence falling over them for a moment while Sharky’s brain turned on, he moved out of the way, “Come in, we don’t want any animals attacking you, or God forbid Angels or Peggies...”


	20. Chapter 20

 Dusty walked in, stumbling slightly, but still standing because of Sharky catching him. Sharky helped him over to the couch, not minding the blood being smeared on it. “Thanks, Shark...” he breathed.

 “Don’t mention it... do ya want somethin to drink?”

 “Uh, sure, do you have any water?”

 Sharky thought for a moment, “I don’t think so, unless ya wanna be drugged by the bliss, all I have is beer...”

 Dusty furrowed his eyebrows, “That’s extremely unhealthy, but alright... I just need something to help my throat.”

 Sharky hummed, walking into his kitchen and grabbing two beers from the fridge, seeing that his open can was almost empty. He handed Dusty one of the cans before dropping onto the couch next to him. “So, what happened to your side?”

 “Oh, uh, I’ve kinda been roaming around the County, helping citizens where I can... Cheeseburger and Peaches can be a bit of a handful, and when together, that makes for chaos. Long story short, we were clearing out Fall’s End, and Peaches was thrown back at me, she accidentally scratched me.” He pulled up his shirt to reveal the scratch. It had scabbed over, but some blood still leaked through. There were a couple of other scars on him, several being words, but Sharky would bring that up later, his favorite beer joint might be up and running again!

 “So everyone at Fall’s End is good?” 

 “Mhm” Dusty cracked his can open and took a drink from it, “Most everything’s up and runnin’ again, Jerome and Mary were ecstatic about not dying...” Dusty chuckled to himself. 

 “And you’ve met Cheeseburger?”

 Dusty nodded, “He’s chilling with Jess and Grace right now though...”

 “Alright, that’s really cool... what about the words in your back?” He asked, grabbing his other beer and finishing it off before opening the new one.

 Dusty cringed, “Uh, y’know about John’s methods, right? Well, I was his test to see if they worked, like Staci was for Jacob and Joey was for Faith. Oh, by the way, we found out that apparently Rachel and Joey have been dating for a while.”

 “Oh, Jesus, do they hurt?”

 “Not anymore, I’ve been visiting John off and on, so they’ve had time to heal between confessions...”

 “What do you do between visits..?”

 “....Cause havoc for the Seeds...” he took a drink, smug smile on his face.

 Sharky had a confused look on his face, he swallowed the beer in his mouth before talking, “How so?”

 “Mmm, y’know, killin’ Peggies, helping citizens, liberating outposts...”

 “And John’s okay with that?”

 “Oh, they don’t know, only Joey, Staci, and Earl know. Earl’s running the Jailhouse up north, Staci’s still Jacob’s bitch, and Faith is tripping balls with Faith in the Bliss...”

 “Damn, so you’re the only one who’s ‘free’?”

 “I’d say, though it’s been pretty boring. I help the Seeds every so often, but sometimes there’s nothin’ fun to do, like right now, that’s the main reason I came here, that and I needed to make sure you were okay, but I trusted you could handle yourself,” he took a drink, batting his eyelashes and looking innocent.

 “Sucks I’m not doin’ anything tonight...”

 “It really does, doesn’t it?”

 Sharky could smell arousal and embarrassment radiating off of Dusty, he shrugged it off as nothing, mainly because he was the boyfriend of one of the cult leaders.


	21. Chapter 21

 Sharky ended up sleeping on the couch after arguing with Dusty for an hour. The next morning he woke up being greeted by the smell of smoke right off the bat. He sat up, taking a moment to gain his bearings before following the smell. He walked outside, going beside his house to see Dusty gutting a fish and Peaches sitting beside the fire he had made, her tail flicking back and forth while she watched him. Dusty finished cleaning the fish up and impaled the fish on a metal rod, propping it up so it was over the fire before starting on the next one.

 Sharky rubbed his eyes, “What the hell are you doin’, man?” He said, voice rough and sleep ridden.

 “Oh, your up..” he turned to face the other man, “I was making breakfast, Peaches and I went fishing about two hours ago...” he said, grabbing one of the fish on the makeshift table and giving it to the cougar, patting her head while she ate it. “‘M tired as fuck though.”

 “I bet...” Sharky watched him remove the fish from the fire, putting it on one of Sharky’s plates next to one he had assumably made earlier and placing a couple of small yellow flowers beside it before handing it to him.

 Sharky took it, breaking it up with his fingers and eating it. It was quite juicy, soft to bite into, and had a smokey flavor. “Damn, this is good...” he said, he’d probably had better, but not many places in the area made good fish, even before the Seeds.

 “Thanks, ‘M glad ya’ like it... almost got shot by a goddamn Peggie, thankfully, Peaches saw him before he was able to pull the trigger.”

 “Jesus, dude..” Sharky replied through a mouthful of food.

 Dusty made a sound of acknowledgement, giving Peaches the other three fish they caught. He grabbed his knife and sheathed it, the blade catching in the light, MAKING Sharky notice it.

 “Hey, aren’t you not allowed to have weapons?”

 Dusty visibly tensed, “It’s the end of the Goddamn world, and I’m living with one of the people that’s gonna end it... well, off and on...” he said, exhaling and sitting beside Peaches.

 “Okay... Jesus...” Sharky mumbled, placing the now empty plate on the table and sitting on the other side of the fire.


	22. Chapter 22

 Dusty ended up falling asleep on Peaches, Sharky picking him up and carrying him back inside and lying him on his bed. He gently closed the door behind him and went into the kitchen, getting himself a beer and sitting on the couch. Turning on the radio, there wasn’t really any good music playing, and Joseph’s opening speech for hell's gates to open was on repeat, thankfully with John, Faith, and Jacob’s sprinkled in between. Though he hated the heralds, hearing four speeches on repeat rather than one made by the biggest fuck-tard in history was worth the pain he endured.

 Why didn’t he just listen to the radio, you may ask. Well, ‘Only You’, ‘We’ll Meet Again’, and the Peggie shit made him want to blow his brains out, and he still had stuff he wanted to set ablaze, like that dickwad, John Seed, or a blunt, preferably in his mouth so he could inhale the fumes, but just setting it on fire would be cool too.


	23. Chapter 23

 He heard some noises coming from his room at around 1, though he didn’t go to check it out until 1:10 when there was a loud thump. 

 He opened the door to see Dusty breathing heavily, he was swearing and gripping his knife tightly. He had a horrified look in his eyes as he stood, kicking the gun he had assumably knocked off the table under the bed. He tripped, barely catching himself and trying to stab Sharky when he tried to get close to help. 

 Sharky took a step back, hands raised up in the air in defeat, “Yo, are you alright, dude? You don’t look to good...” he said after a moment.

 Dusty took a moment, realizing what he just tried to do, he dropped the blade, cutting his hand as it fell, “I... I need to get out of here... like, I’m sorry, it’s not you, I just can’t....”

 “Can’t what..?” Sharky asked, taking a cautious step forward while watching the blood steadily leak from Dusty’s hand. 

 Dusty seemed to be ignoring the fact that he was injured, as he covered his face with his hands, “I... I need to, I can’t do this... I need to go, John’ll kill you if he finds out about me staying here, he already killed....” he quieted, breathing becoming more labored and quick.

 “Who did he kill..?” Sharky asked, moving slightly closer.

 Dusty stumbled over his words, tears now falling from his eyes and body now trembling, “P-pastor Jerome... he...” he was sobbing at this point, words almost unintelligible.

 Sharky closed the distance between them, kicking the knife away and placing a hand on his shoulder. Dusty three himself on Sharky, pressing his face into his sweatshirt and grasping it until his knuckles were white. Sharky didn’t have much experience in comforting people do to his lack of friends, save for Mary, Jess, Grace, Nick, Hurk, and, more recently than not added to this list, Dusty, and most of those people never cried in front of him... well, at least not in the past year or two...

 Sharky exhaled softly, hugging Dusty with one arm, and stroking his hair with the other, he gently shushed him, trying to get him to calm down slightly so he’d be able to understand the man and maybe wrap his wound.


	24. Chapter 24

 After about an hour and a half, he was able to calm Dusty down enough to understand what he was trying to say, he turned his coffee machine on... because everyone likes coffee, right?

 Dusty was lying on the bed again when he came up with two mugs of coffee and a first aid kit. He set the mugs on the table before going through the med kit to find the adhesive bandages and antiseptic cream. The Deputy hissed slightly as the cream was applied, staring emptily at the ceiling while he wrapped the bandage around his hand. 

 Sharky threw away the trash and put the med kit away. He to grab his coffee and return to his living room when Dusty didn’t reply, only to have someone grab his sweatshirt, he turned around to face the younger man, “Hm?”

 Dusty faltered, hand retracting as he looked to the side, his eyes shut slightly, “Can... can you stay with me..? I-... don’t want to be alone right now...” he hesitated, seemingly regretting saying it after it exited his mouth.

 Sharky stared at him for a moment before turning around and walking to the other side of the bed, he slipped his boots off and slid under the blankets, his coffee resting on the side table beside his hat and sunglasses.

 Dusty moved slightly closer to him, whispering a soft, “Thanks,” before closing his eyes and letting sleep consume him.


	25. Chapter 25

 It took Sharky a while to fall asleep, but it was one of the best nights of sleep he'd had in a long time...

~~~~~

 He wakes up in the morning, the sun flooding in through the cracks in his blinds, warmth and light making Sharky hot and fucking blinding him... but there were parts of his body that were extra warm, he opened his eyes, looking down to see the deputy resting his head on Sharky's chest, his arm wrapped around his waist as his head was nuzzled into his sweatshirt. Fuck, John was one lucky ass motherfucker... 

 Dusty slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Sharky when he was fully awake, "Good morning..." he said, stretching his arms out before lying back on the pyro.

 "It is, isn't it?" Sharky said, slightly suspicious of how nice it was.

 They got up after a few minutes, Sharky went to the bathroom and Dusty went and sat on the couch. They spoke for a while and Sharky agreed to let Dusty stay there for as long as he needed, mainly because the poor deputy needed a break, but also because he was a pretty fuckin' dope dude. 

 And so, for the next week or so, this was their routine, though Dusty seemed to start spending more and more time in the room, refusing to eat and barely drinking, until...


	26. Chapter 26

 Sharky had been sleeping on the couch for the past three days, not wanting to wake Dusty, he hadn’t really done shit for the County while Dusty had been helping people behind his boyfriends back. He didn’t really check in on him much, mainly because he came out whenever he needed stuff, but also because even killers need privacy (right?). Well, that was until there were weird noises coming from his room, grant it, he might’ve been jacking off or something, but, what normal person would jack off in another person’s bed? Maybe Dusty? Sharky wasn’t sure, but against his better judgement, he went into the room, slowly opening the door only to be hit with a potent smell, ‘twas arousal... fucking Dusty, going into heat while staying with Sharky... for shame...

 Sharky tried his best to ignore his instincts, now, he was a sex machine, don’t get him wrong, but this was a dude, and Sharky wasn’t gay. Had he met a female Omega? No, but he didn’t want kids and there are plenty of females that’d probably let him fuck them, I mean, he’s Sharky fuckin’ Boshaw.

 Entering the room, the smell got stronger, the blinds were almost complete closed, only giving enough light to the room to walk around and not trip or fuck up your legs and toes. The blanket was thrown on the floor and Dusty was breathing heavily, holding a pillow tightly against his body. He was slightly rocking, not enough to cause friction, but seemingly trying to lull himself back to sleep or calm himself down. As well, he was only in a pair of Sharky’s boxers, his shirt and pants discarded somewhere out of sight.

 Sharky knocked on the door, when the Omega didn’t reply, he fully opened up the door and walked in, sitting at the edge of the bed beside Dusty, he tried his best to not get to close as he didn’t want to do anything he may regret later. Yeah, he was hard, but that doesn’t mean his gay... 

 Dusty mumbled something, stiffening slightly. “Uhm... is there anything you need, Amigo?”

 Dusty shook his head, a small and barely visible movement, but a movement all the same. Sharky nodded to himself, kind of unsure about what to do, he sighed and went to stand up, Dusty spoke, his voice small, “It hurts, please don’t leave I-...” he silenced, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his breathing shaky. 

 Sharky stopped, turning around to face the younger man, he couldn’t stay with him for long or he probably wouldn’t be able to control himself, but... Dusty didn’t deserve to be alone...

 The pyro sighed, he could probably control himself if he stayed at a distance, despite the dry spell because of the cult, he sat on the ground beside the bed, listening to the soft noises leaving Dusty, whether they were short breaths, quiet sobs, whatever, Sharky listened. It was awkward, sure, uncomfortable? Yeah, but he still owed it to the younger man... no one deserved to be alone during times like these, especially not those who’ve given so much yet received so little.

 He sat there, the noises silencing after a while, save for the shaky breathing, Dusty was asleep, hopefully they can talk when he wakes up and is feeling better...


	27. Chapter 27

 It took a day or two until Dusty felt well enough to get up, sure, he still smelled like he was in heat, but it wasn’t as bad as it was two days prior. Sharky had held out, and after the pain Dusty went through and the self control he had to show, he decided to treat them to a night at the Spread Eagle, cuz it was fucking open and he could go there again. They went on a Monday when no one would be there, oddly enough, there was absolutely no one there when they went, only Mary and Jerome, and the Pastor wasn’t drinking (for obvious reasons). 

 “Damn, you look like shit, Dep...” Mary said, looking him over.

 “Running around the country and trying to not get caught by your ‘mate’ and company does this to ya’...” Dusty replied, pain lacing the word mate, he sat up at the bar, resting his head on Sharky’s shoulder when he sat.

 Mary came over to them, “So, what would the Deputy and ‘Fire Enthusiast’ like today?”

 “Mmm, I guess I’ll just get the usual...” Sharky said after a moment.

 “I’ll have the same...” Dusty said, yawning slightly and nuzzling into Sharky’s sweatshirt.

 Mary smiled and went to grab their drinks. 

 “Thanks for all the work you’ve done for the county, Dusty, I know it must be hard for you...” Jerome said, trying to empathize.

 Dusty lifted his hand up, batting the air in the pastor’s direction before it dropped to his side again, “I’ve been through worse, this is fine... but thanks for your concern, Pastor,” He said with a small smile.

 Jerome nodded slightly, saying his goodbyes before heading back to the church. 

 Mary came back with their drinks, setting them on the counter before them, “How’s your break goin’, Dus?”

 “Well... Sharky’s letting me stay with him and I’ve been able to sleep for the first time in two months...” he said exasperatedly, grabbing the bottle before him and taking a drink.

 Mary side eyed Sharky, the other man averted her gaze, turning his head to face the other side of the bar and hopefully not disturb Dusty.

 “Sounds fun, I think Casey may need some help with setting up the Testy Festy if ya’ want to do something that doesn’t end with human blood on your hands, sadly cant say the same for the bulls though...” she says with a sigh, taking a drink of the water she has under the table.

 “Yeah, I’ll try and stop by tomorrow and ask him what he needs help with.”

 “M’kay, I’ll tell him, oh, and bring Sharky, I’m sure you’ll have lotsa fun...” she said with a snide smirk.

 Sharky choked on his drink slightly as Dusty’s hand moved to his, gently rubbing circles on the back with the pad of his thumb.

 “Will you come, Charlemagne..? I don’t think I’m ready to be alone again yet...” he asked, squeezing his hand and whimpering slightly.

 Sharky exhaled, shooting Mary a look, more embarrassed than anything, “Of course, Dep, I’ll have ta’ tell Hurk tonight that we’ll be busy tomorrow though.”

 “That’s fine... you can ask him to come if you want...”

 Sharky opened his mouth to talk before noticing Mary glaring at him, he swallowed hard before talking, “Uh, naw, just me and you are good, I just don’t want him droppin’ by if we’re gone...”

 Mary nodded with a smile, the expression that struck fear into the people of Hope County now gone and replaced by one that gave them hope.

 “It’s a date,” Mary stated, placing her empty water bottle in a bin behind the counter.

 “Haha, I wish, but Sharky here isn’t gay,” Dusty said, gently tapping the man in question’s thigh, sadness evident in his tone and expression, though slightly muffled and hidden. 

 Dusty sat up, posture straight as he fixed his shirt, “Uhm...” he paused for a moment, grunting slightly as he moved, “Imma go to the bathroom real quick, I need to wash my hands, they...re dirty...” he finished after a moment, standing and going to the bathroom.


	28. Chapter 28

 The whole experience with helping prepare for the Testy Festy was fun, not to mention the actual Festival itself, Sharky got hammered, but Dusty made sure to stay sober, drinking Doctor Pepper and water instead. They stayed for about three hours, spending time together and with Jess and Grace. All around, the night was great, Sharky and Dusty getting to spend time with each other. 

~~~~ 

 Sharky woke up the next morning with a horrible hangover... and a boner, the boner was horrible, mainly because Dusty was fucking clinging to him, but also because he just fucking woke up, goddamn it...

 Dusty was still sound asleep, so Sharky tried to sneak out from his grip, but when he moved, Sharky stopped immediately. 

 Sharky sighed quietly, accepting his fate, that being Dusty making fun of him. He hadn’t gotten a fucking sleep boner since he was sixteen, and he was at Aunt Addie’s house, so why the fuck did he have one now?

 Dusty woke up about twenty minutes later, slowly opening his eyes, he looked up at Sharky, his arms extending as he lied on the pyro’s arm, “G’mornin’...” be mumbled, rubbing his eye.

 “Good morning...” Sharky said, praying to whatever God that actually exists that Dusty doesn’t notice his boner, now in retrospect, he could probably blame it on the alcohol or something, but c’mon, he’s a fucking Boshaw.

 Dusty moved to sit on the bed, his legs dangling off the edge as he stretched, his back popping slightly. Sharky took a moment to look at his scars, various words carved in his flesh, scratches, bites, and bullet holes covering his body alongside some bruising on his hips and rips and some cuts on his wrists and thighs. Lust was written in huge letters across his lower back, along with pride and envy. 

 Sharky stared at him, looking over the scars, “See something you like?” Dusty asked, laughing when Sharky averted his eyes, he had noticed the bulge over by Sharky, but decided it’d be best not to talk about that, at least not directly.

 “No, sorry, uh, I’ve just never seen you without a shirt on and...”

 “I know, it’s fine, John’s a bitch when it comes to his confessions, and when it comes time for mine, it becomes one sided, him assuming my feelings and actions, that’s why pride is on here...” he swings his arm back, gently rubbing his fingers over the ‘IDE’, chuckling to himself softly, “Everyone that knows me knows I’m anything but prideful... but... he thinks I am...” his hand drops, resting in his lap as he stares at the ground, he squeezes his eyes shut, inhaling deeply before turning to face Sharky, a smile on his face, “but that’s okay, ‘cuz I have you, Mary, Grace, Hurk, and Jess, and you guys are all I need...”

 Sharky smiles slightly at that, “Thanks, broseph, that makes me feel a lot better about myself, cuz settin stuff on fire and blasting my music usually makes people hate me...”

 Dusty moves closer, sitting on his knees, placing his hands on Sharky’s cheeks, “I could never hate you, Charlemagne, not after all you’ve done for me...” 

 Split second decision, against his better judgement and his inner ‘I’m not fucking gay’ mantra, he leans forward, pressing his lips to Dusty’s, the other man’s lips are soft and lush as opposed to his hard and cracked ones. Dusty took a moment to respond, moving one hand behind Sharky’s head and dropping the other into his lap. 

 It was relatively short and Dusty was mainly just playing with Shark’s hair, running his fingers through the back or it and smiling. Arousal was prominent in the air, and, oh.. fuck, "Sorry dude, uh... I um..." Sharky stuttered, trying to say something to avoid the wrath of John. 

 Dusty shut him by pressing their lips together again, "It's cool, Charlemagne. If I'm completely honest, I liked it.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh, my brain shuts off when I write usually and I started this chapter last night, almost falling asleep while writing it (I worked on chapters from around 9:30pm-1:45am ;_;) plus I’m an impatient little shit and need to spam this bitch because of my lacking recently


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